The only public green space in Newark along a waterfront, Essex County Riverfront Park displays sparkling amenities, including a baseball field, two playgrounds, tennis and basketball courts, an open grassy area and a turf soccer field with a huge county logo in the center.

And that’s just the beginning, DiVincenzo says.

"This has been a dream for 30 years," he said today, joined by Gov. Chris Christie, Newark Mayor Cory Booker and more than 150 attendees at the public unveiling of the 12-acre park off Raymond Boulevard.

The City of Newark is working on an adjacent four-acre strip just west of Riverfront Park that’s slated for completion this fall, officials said. The area will serve as a walkway and boat dock. Once completed, the city will turn over its portion, which costs $10 million, to the county, which will connect it to Riverfront Park.

From there, DiVincenzo wants to expand the county park for up to two miles along the Passaic River to Bridge Street. The county is in talks to acquire a vacant two-acre plot owned by the Newark Housing Authority to expand the park to the east.

Plans for a park had been plagued by delays and complications for years while Ironbound residents needed more recreation space, said Joe Della Fave, executive director of the Ironbound Community Corp. ICC has led advocacy efforts for years to create a park that gives public access to the river.